Regarding the news story, "Smoking banned at playgrounds in The City's parks" (June 19): My sympathy and a response to Rec and Park employee Marilyn Cassol, quoted as saying, "I'm a smoker - does that make me a bad person?"

In contemporary San Francisco, it does. Since the unholy alliance made almost a decade ago between a preacher from Texas, Harry Britt, and a native daughter, Angela Alioto, both supervisors at the time, the new Puritan majority in this town relegates smokers to the sidewalks outside office buildings, restaurants, bars and, now, the borders of playgrounds.

However, instead of being forced to wear the equivalent of a scarlet letter as was Hester Prynne in Salem, smokers are left to brand themselves voluntarily by lighting up. That's what passes for progressive.

My advice to Cassol is to quit her park job now, leave town as soon as possible and find a more tolerant community even if that means leaving the state or country. Don't take a smoking cessation class or spend money on smoking surrogates until you want to for your own reasons, not those imposed upon you.

And by the way, what's with the double-talk from Diane Rose from the South of Market Council? In the first paragraph she is quoted as calling the ban "a victory for the health of children" and saying in the last paragraph,

"We are not making a statement about whether smoking is healthy or unhealthy. We just want kids to grow up and make the decision to smoke or not smoke on their own." Did it take five months of working on this project to learn to talk that way? Reid Condit San Francisco

Enough! You've proven cigarettes are addictive. So fine the cigarette companies billions of dollars because they caused the addictions of millions of people.

Why do you feel it necessary to raise taxes on cigarettes to the point that those of us who are "addicted" cannot afford them? I have been "addicted" for more than 50 years. I bought cigarettes for "two bits" when the machine returned a pack of smokes and three pennies in each pack.

I am now retired and have been for years. My "addiction" is not retired. My income is, though - it's the same as it was 10 years ago. Having smoked for this long, I'll probably give up a lot before I quit smoking: books, gas for the car, movies, even the steak I now can only afford once a week.

Sure, we're going to raise taxes on cigarettes to stop the kids from smoking. Ha! Those kids spend more on one pair of tennis shoes than I've spent on shoes in the last 30 years. Anyone with the slightest knowledge of child behavior is aware that which is forbidden is the most desired.

Cost means a whole lot less to young people than to those of us who must make a dollar stretch to cover life's necessities. And - oh yes - our addiction, one of life's little pleasures, a smoke. Norm Dunham San Bruno

More WWII honorees

Adding to the dialogue created by William Manchester's article ( "The need for a national World War II memorial - soon," Opinion Page, May 25): Our World War II generation requires several memorials on what Haydn Williams (letter, June 12) calls "the symbolic center-line of American history" between the Washington Monument and the Lincoln Memorial.

On the perimeter of the area we should erect one memorial dedicated to the 100,000 Americans imprisoned during the war because of their Japanese ancestry, and another memorial dedicated to the millions of Americans who suffered (whether in or out of uniform) because of their African ancestry.

Next, in the center of the area we should erect a large statue to Gen. Lewis Hershey, the Selective Service director who impressed 14 million Americans into service during the war. (After a later conflict, Gen. William Westmoreland defended the draft by saying, "I don't want to lead an army of mercenaries into combat" - to which Milton Friedman replied, "So you prefer to lead an army of slaves?" )

For further historical perspective, we need another memorial nearby to the three Democratic presidents - Wilson, Franklin Roosevelt and Lyndon Johnson - whose party the voters repudiated in postwar elections because they had broken solemn promises not to send American boys to fight and die in overseas wars. William M. Burke San Francisco

Try toll-taking machines

As a regular commuter and user of Bay bridges, I have a simple question about a simple contribution to easing bottlenecks at toll entrances: Why don't they install a couple of gates with toll-taking machines that only take the correct amount?

These are very common devices found on toll roads practically everywhere in the world. Even if they were the kind of basket-receptacles that only take change, they would be an improvement since there would always be drivers prepared with the right change.

As we all know, adding a dollar to the toll has made things a lot worse.

It seems strange that such a simple arrangement hasn't been considered in all the hand-wringing concerning the traffic mess. Is there a conspiracy of silence on simple ideas in this regard?

Judging from the current bridge-design debacle, when it comes to bridges what we seem to have in the Bay Area is a conspiracy of boondoggles. Joaquin Zuniga Pacifica

Defending ethics panel

Scott Winokur's column, "Conflict of interest? No, it's the law!" (Opinion Page, June 9), unfairly criticizes the Ethics Commission for its handling of complaints. The article notes that the commission has not yet reached a finding of probable cause or held a public hearing.

The Ethics Commission has no reluctance to identify and punish those who violate The City's ethics laws. The commission, meticulously following its procedures, has actively conducted numerous official inquiries and authorized and conducted three formal investigations.

Currently the commission is actively pursuing 12 complaints that have been returned to its jurisdiction after initial review (and possible investigation) by the city attorney and district attorney, in accordance with the City Charter.

The main reason the commission has not reached a probable cause finding is that thus far, it has not had a case in which such a finding would be warranted.

When the commission finds probable cause and holds a public hearing, it will be because the evidence justifies it - not because of political pressure from the press or other quarters. Virginia Vida Executive director Ethics Commission San Francisco

Religion and politics

Soon after reading the obituary of Leo Buscaglia, I happened upon Stephanie Salter's column, "Pat Robertson: So funny I forgot to laugh" (Opinion Page, June 14).

Now Playing:

I couldn't help but compare these two men: Buscaglia, a deeply religious man who for years had taught people to love themselves and others; Robertson, a politician who has used religion to gain power for himself and to spew his hateful message.

Imagine if Buscaglia, the doctor of love, had had the access to television that Robertson has. We would undoubtedly see a much greater "pro-family," caring society than the one this politician espouses. Craig James Lafayette&lt;

Latest from the SFGATE homepage:

Click below for the top news from around the Bay Area and beyond. Sign up for our newsletters to be the first to learn about breaking news and more. Go to 'Sign In' and 'Manage Profile' at the top of the page.